Valparaiso (8-1-4, 4-0-0 Horizon)
Big road match awaits the Crusaders Saturday night
Saturday, Oct. 18 – at Wright State (5-8-1, 2-2-1 Horizon) – Dayton, Ohio – 1 p.m. CT

This Week in Crusader Soccer: Valparaiso looks to remain at least three points clear of the rest of the Horizon League, as the Crusaders travel to Wright State for a Saturday afternoon match.

Previously: A pair of one-goal victories kept the Crusaders perfect in league play and extended the team's winning streak to six straight matches. Last week started with a 2-1 midweek win at UIC before Valpo returned home and got a golden goal from Grace Rogers in the 100th minute for a 1-0 win over Youngstown State.

Following the Crusaders: Saturday afternoon's match will have live video on the Horizon League Network. Links for the live video and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com. Over the course of the 2014 season, seven matches will have free live video on the Horizon League Network, including four matches at home, while WVUR, Valpo’s student radio station, will also be broadcasting select home matches.

Head Coach John Marovich: John Marovich holds a 60-43-24 record both overall and with Valpo in his seventh season at the helm of the Brown and Gold. Just the third head coach in program history, Marovich has the best winning percentage (.576) ever at Valpo, and ranks second in total victories.

Series Notes: Valpo is just 1-8-3 all-time against Wright State, but have earned the four results over the last five meetings. The two sides have drawn their last three matches, including scoreless ties each of the last two seasons.

Scouting the Opposition: The Raiders enter Saturday night's contest at 5-8-1 overall and 2-2-1 in league play, most recently winning at Milwaukee last Saturday 1-0. Nine different WSU players have combined for the team's 13 goals this season, while Halle Pyle has seen most of the playing time in goal and has a 0.80 GAA on the season.

Atop the League Table: The Crusaders enter the week unbeaten in Horizon League play, opening the league slate with four straight victories. This marks the most consecutive wins to start league play since Valpo joined the Horizon League, as only the 2011 squad had even won its first two matches. With the four wins, Valpo sits atop the league table with 12 points, a full three points clear of Detroit and five points clear of the rest of the pack.

Unbeaten Streak: The win over Cleveland State set a new record for the longest undefeated streak in program history. With the most recent win over Youngstown State, Valpo’s undefeated streak now sits at 12 consecutive matches, as the Crusaders have not lost since the opening contest of the season. Over that stretch, the team owns a 8-0-4 record. The unbeaten streak has bested the record previously held by the 2006 side, which had gone eight straight undefeated (all victories).

Winning Them All Recently: The Crusaders started their current unbeaten run with a number of draws, going 2-0-4 in the games from Aug. 24-Sept. 14. But starting with the game at Eastern Illinois, it has only been entries in the win column for Valpo, as it has now won six straight matches. With two more wins, the Crusaders would match the 2006 team's eight-match winning streak, the longest in program history.

Regionally Ranked: For the first time in program history, the Crusader program has earned a spot in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region poll this season. Valpo currently sits at #10 in this week's iteration of the poll, the second straight week the Crusaders have been ranked. Valpo is joined in the poll by seven Big Ten teams, as well as one squad apiece from the Mid-American Conference and Missouri Valley Conference.

Craven Ties Program Mark: For the seventh time in her career and the fourth time this season, junior Rita Craven came up with a match-winning goal last week, finding the back of the net in the 74th minute of the Crusaders' win at UIC. With four match-winning goals, Craven ties Valpo's single-season record in the category, while her seven career match-winners are tied for second most in Crusader history. Craven's four match-winning tallies this season are also tied for most in the Horizon League.

Making Her First Goal Count: Freshman defender Grace Rogers entered the final minutes of regulation last time out versus YSU without even a shot on goal to her credit this season. One of the most unlikely of heroes, it was Rogers who came up on a set piece in the final minute of the first period of extra time and found the back of the net for her first career goal to give the Crusaders the 1-0 win. Rogers was named Horizon League co-Defensive Player of the Week for her work on the back line and in pulling out three points against the Penguins.

Strong Defense Continues: The Crusaders surrendered just one goal in two matches last week and continue to be one of the nation's best defensive squads. Valpo, which has given up just one goal in four Horizon League contests to date, has eight shutouts on the season and has surrendered just six goals through 13 matches. As a team, Valpo ranks sixth nationally in goals against average (0.43) and eighth in save percentage (.887), while goalkeeper Sydney Galvez-Daley is ninth in GAA and 14th in save percentage. Galvez-Daley, Rogers and center back Shelby Oelschlager have each been named Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week once this season as well.

Crusaders Picked Fifth in Preseason Poll: The head coaches selected Valparaiso to finish in fifth place in the Horizon League this season according to the preseason poll. Milwaukee was picked to capture the league title, with Oakland and Wright State right behind the Panthers.

Looking Back at 2013: Last season’s Crusader squad posted an 8-7-3 record, their ninth winning campaign in the last ten years. Included among the eight victories were a season-opening win over DePaul – the program’s first-ever win over a major conference program – and a victory over Northwestern – the Crusaders’ first against a Big Ten opponent. Valpo continued its tradition of being a strong defensive side, surrendering just 15 goals in the 18 games. Ten different players scored goals for the Crusaders, with 16 players in all tallying points.

Roster Breakdown: This year’s Crusader squad brings back 19 players from last season’s roster, 16 of which saw action last year and seven of whom were regular starters. In addition, six newcomers – two transfers and four freshmen – join the fray as well.